How to keep horse fit with not riding?

[Pidge]

Ok after some much needed advice (yet again

) as to how to keep Pidge fit healthy and ticking over and sane

if I'm not riding him? Have access to a horse walker and schools. So what can I do without putting a saddle on his back and me sitting on it?

 

[rara007]

Driving
Lunging
Lunging with 2 lines
Longreinging
Mixture of the 2 above.
Free schooling
In-hand work(will get you very fit!)
and put him on the horse walker(obviously an option!)
You could always becone a NH convert and train him to tricks

 

[Nailed]

hum.. turn him out!
its the easiest way to keep a horse fit..
if not wack him on a horse walker!
Lou x

 

[Mooch]

Get the ladders out and ride him bareback!!!!

 

[Pidge]

thanks just need to stop him being bored and keep his fitness up. God lunging with 2 reins can only just manage with one

no good teaching him tricks he gets up to mischief enough as it is

 

[Pidge]

he's out in the day anyway but I need him to use his backend when working. how long can he go on the horse walker for?

 

[Pidge]

I will if you will

 

[eventersrus]

loobie-lou can l ask why you have
'only good farriers lame horses'??

 

[merlinsquest]

I have always failed to understand this, but was too afraid of being the only thickie that didnt to say so

 

[Tierra]

Horse walkers get horses very fit quite fast so thats an option. Mine is on 5 days a week for an hour at a time and he's fit-fit.

Lunging is also effective providing you can work the horse reasonably correctly. It also allows you to incorporate some jumping and pole work for variety

 

[Pidge]

thanks Tierra, do you vary the speed of the horse walker?

 

[ISHmad]

Ours would die of boredom if they had to spend an hour a day on a horsewalker. Long lining would really help, lunge with a pessoa for a few minutes other days, leading out in hand, free schooling... At least these would give the horse some stimulation instead of walking round and round and round and round on a walker.

 

[Pidge]

thanks, just need a variety of exercises to do until I can start riding him again, otherwise we will both go nuts

 

[ISHmad]

Clicker training is good fun as well Pidge. You can work on anything from ground tying to walking in hand in an outline to just having some fun. Just adds a bit of variety I guess. Hope it won't be long before you can be out and about and riding again.

 

[tabithakat64]

Lunge in a pessoa, long rein, pole work in hand, loose school, in-hand hacking, use the horse walker, massage and lots of turnout.

 

[Tierra]

We dont vary the speed at all. It has them walking at a brisk enough pace for them to not slouch around but not absurd enough to have them exhausted!

Changes direction every 10 minutes and they march around quite happily on there.

My horse has changed shape so much since being on and he's really fit atm.

We dont use it as the sole form of exercise unless the weather is absolutly horrendous, but with no turnout, its pretty damn useful i have to say